Page 7 of Pack's Promise

She may have been a beta until recently but–the scent of sugar she was radiating was all omega.

“Tonight?” he pressed, and he flexed his hips up under the table–it would have been blocked from her view, but I could see it: the long, thick shape of his cock against his thigh. I understood with a glance at Rian’s drifting eyes that it wasn’t for her benefit, anyway, but the beta’s.

“Gray,” he said again. “Please.Don’t.”

“I–” she said, “I–”

“You don’t need to make up your mind now,” I said, remembering my place as pack leader. “But–I think it’s safe to say, we’re interested. In you.” Charlie giggled. “We’re members in good standing, here, that is to say, we’re up to date on all our tests, and–”

“The omega said she didn’t want clinical, Luc,” Gray said, a half-smile pulling at his lip. He stood–andnowshe could see it, and we couldallsee her seeing it–to take his wallet from his back pocket, thumbing out a business card, which he slid across the table. “Just let us know when you’ve decided what you want.” He remained standing, and I realized–it was time for us to go. I wasn’t sure what was going on between the two men at my side, but it had no place here, at the club. Neither bathroom quickies nor fisticuffs were smiled on, and I couldn’t tell which way it was going.

I should stand up,I thought,but I can’t–I’ll poke a hole through my pants.I lacked Gray’s shamelessness. Hopefully–I closed my eyes for a long moment before forcing myself to rise to my feet–everyone would be so busy looking at Gray’s dick they wouldn't notice mine.

“See you soon,” I said to Madison, then turned to her friends. “Sophia, Charlie, it was great to meet you.”

No such luck: I watched as Charlie dragged her eyes from my crotch to my face. “Nice to meet you, too,” she said, grinning, but it was clear her brain was elsewhere.

What a fantastic first impression we had all made.

But the look on Madison’s face–eyes half lidded and a smile teasing at her lips–as Rian bent to whisper something in her ear made me think that maybe–just maybe–we’d be spending more time with her soon.

CHAPTERNINE

Madison

I waitedone week–one week of waking up flushed and sweaty after dreams of dark eyes and broad chests, of frantic, furtive touches under my bedsheets late at night, one week of anxiety and self-doubt and elation and anticipation–before I called the number on the plain cream business card that was the only proof that my night at Ardor had even happened.

That and the fact that Charlie–and Sophia, too–wouldn’t stop nagging me about my plans for them.

I had looked up the name on the card and found articles and profiles on the alpha who had given it to me: Gray West. I could hear his voice in my memory, low, with a growl that sent prickles down my spine:you need someone to take the edge off, baby?

I would if I kept flicking through his pack’s social media profiles before bed, yeah.

I had also found his packmates, Lucas King and Rian Hart. Their eyes seemed to stare out at me from my laptop’s screen. There was one gym shot of Rian with Lucas visible in the background, turned away from the camera, his head bent low as he wiped his face with the hem of his tank top. The sliver of muscled back taunted me, like if I wished hard enough, he might turn around.

And what was I doing creeping on their thirst trap gym selfies, anyway? Brent had always said that guys who took selfies at the gym–

Don’t think about Brent,I reminded myself.

Even scrolling pathetically through gym pictures of Lucas, Rian, and Gray was more productive than rehashing our most recent fight. I had first thought Brent would be excited, when I presented. An omega was special, I thought, and he would feel special in turn, knowing he had one. An ego boost, maybe. He’d disabused me of that idea in moments, accusing me of keeping secrets, then letting me know that he wasn’t interested in a spoiled brat of an omega who would want to be pampered and waited on hand and foot. Then, he dumped me: a preemptive strike against the omega I would allegedly become.

That I had been more concerned with what he would think about it than I had been with my own feelings about my presentation had only occurred to me later, as I sobbed against Sophie’s shoulder, swearing to her that this would bethe last timewe broke up.

So:don’t think about Brent.Think about…

Freshly brewed espresso, hot and strong and dark, the stillness that comes before a thunderstorm, a firm chest against my back and strong arms wrapped around my waist, the tickle of lips against my hair, underneath my ear, the junction of my neck and shoulder–

I would call them.

I couldn’tnot.

Maybe itwasembarrassing, maybe itwasproving Brent right–don’t think about Brent–but… I wanted to see what it meant that my heart beat fast and my legs squeezed together involuntarily every time I thought of the three men.

And Lucas had saidwe’re interested.

And Gray had saidlet us know when you’re ready.

And Rian had said–I blushed even to think of it–I’ll keep them warm for you, omega,and as my eyes followed his hungry gaze to the bulges visible in both alpha’s pants, I had nearly begged the three to take me home with them immediately. His comment had cleared up one thing for my sex-addled brain and added about twelve more questions to my list.

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